About Macauley

Macauley is one of the leading voices behind Pufferfish Enthusiasts Worldwide, where he plays a central role in research, writing, and community guidance.

With over two decades of experience in fishkeeping, including work with more than 30 species of pufferfish, he brings both scientific depth and hands-on knowledge to the group.

His widely read care sheets have become reference points across the hobby, helping aquarists worldwide to raise their standards of welfare and husbandry.

Within PEW, Macauley’s role is to combine his deep understanding of water chemistry, ecology, and disease with a passion for education, craftsmanship, and system design, ensuring that we remain one of the most reliable sources of pufferfish knowledge today.

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His Story

Macauley has been keeping fish for more than 20 years. At just seven years old, he set up his first tanks, and among his earliest fish were Oscars. These bold and intelligent cichlids taught him how engaging and complex fish behaviour can be. By the age of twelve, he had acquired his first pufferfish, beginning what would become a complete dedication to this remarkable family of fish.

Even as a child, aquatics shaped the rhythm of his life.

While many children looked forward to theme parks or cinemas, a day out for Macauley meant visiting local fish stores and fish farms. These early experiences gave him exposure to a wide range of species and husbandry approaches, laying the foundation for the curiosity and depth of knowledge he is known for today.

Over the decades, Macauley has maintained a wide variety of aquariums, from freshwater community tanks to marine systems housing puffers, clownfish, and seahorses.

He has kept over 30 species, successfully breeding several, and has become a trusted figure for aquarists worldwide who want to better understand these remarkable animals.

His widely read care sheets, praised for their clarity and depth, are now considered essential reading across the hobby, with thousands of shares and references in communities around the globe.

One of Macauley’s greatest passions is blackwater aquariums. For him, they represent the perfect balance of science, art, and ecology. He has spent years studying and recreating the subtle chemistry of rainforest streams and peat swamps, from tannins and humic substances to the cycles of microfauna and nutrients.

“Following nature’s example and building biotopes isn’t just part of the hobby for me. It is the hobby.”

This philosophy guides all of Macauley’s fishkeeping: replicating wild conditions as closely as possible so that fish are not simply kept alive, but allowed to thrive.

That same approach extends into his passion for nutrition and health. Macauley believes that diet is fundamental to welfare, and he has spent years researching wild food sources, seasonal availability, and the ecological role of different food items. Working from field studies, stomach content analyses, and direct observation, he has developed detailed feeding guides that help aquarists replicate natural diets in captivity. These guides go far beyond the “generalist” advice often found online, instead offering species-specific strategies that strengthen immune responses, encourage natural behaviour, and improve long-term health.

Alongside nutrition, Macauley has an equally strong obsession with disease and treatment. He has spent years studying pathogens, preventative care, and treatment protocols, combining scientific research with practical husbandry. His ability to link diet, environment, and health allows him to see the bigger picture of welfare, from prevention to cure.

Community and Education

Beyond his own tanks, Macauley has been a dedicated educator. For years, he hosted long, live-streamed Q&A sessions from his fishroom, helping aquarists worldwide tackle challenges in real time. Today, he serves as an administrator across several large aquatic communities with a combined membership of more than 200,000 people, where he is known for offering clear, evidence-based guidance and challenging outdated myths.

Professional Collaborations

His expertise is also recognised outside hobbyist circles. Macauley has collaborated with veterinary professionals globally, advising on pufferfish treatment and care, and helping bridge the gap between clinical practice and everyday husbandry. His input has been sought by public aquariums and zoos, where he has helped refine husbandry practices and troubleshoot welfare challenges for complex species.

“I have always believed that sharing knowledge is the key. The goal will always be elevating the welfare of the animals.”

Science and Research

Over the years, he has produced practical tools and resources for aquarists, including tables, calculations, and explanatory guides that simplify complex processes.

This research is not theoretical. It is always tied back to practical husbandry. By translating scientific principles into accessible explanations and usable data, Macauley gives aquarists the ability to make informed decisions about their tanks, rather than relying on guesswork or hearsay.

He even reads scientific literature for enjoyment, constantly exploring new research in ecology, physiology, and animal welfare. For him, this is not just about curiosity; it is about ensuring that the guidance he provides through Pufferfish Enthusiasts Worldwide is firmly grounded in the best available evidence. It is this dedication to evidence-based practice that has made him a trusted source.

Craftsmanship and Systems Design

Beyond aquatics, Macauley is a dedicated craftsperson. His home workshop is a hub of activity, where he undertakes specialised woodwork, system builds, and DIY projects that feed directly back into his fishkeeping.

He has a particular passion for plumbing, which dovetails perfectly with aquarium design.

Over the years, he has created countless custom plumbing systems for tanks, each built with efficiency, durability, and innovation in mind.

His enthusiasm for plumbing extends into teaching. He has run classes for apprentice plumbers, demonstrating soldering techniques and critical topics such as galvanic corrosion.

He also places strong emphasis on regulation compliance, ensuring systems are both safe and professional.

Alongside plumbing, Macauley has also designed, built, and installed complex electrical systems, applying the same precision and problem-solving he uses in aquatics.

This rare combination of plumbing, electrical, and craft expertise enables him to create complete, reliable systems from the ground up; an ability few in the hobby can claim.

Wider Animal Care

Macauley’s passion for animals reaches well beyond fish. He has a long-standing interest in reptiles, particularly snakes, and has designed and maintained specialist enclosures that prioritise welfare at every level. His focus is not only on providing the correct heating and lighting systems, but on creating environments that allow reptiles to express natural behaviours. He pays particular attention to species-appropriate UV, infrared, and visible light, ensuring each animal receives conditions as close to natural as possible.

Equally important to him is environmental enrichment. Through the careful selection of both natural and manmade materials, he designs enclosures that are stimulating, secure, and functional. Every branch, hide, substrate, or artificial feature is chosen with purpose, encouraging exploration, natural movement, and behavioural expression. This level of detail reflects the same philosophy he applies to aquatics: animals should not simply be housed; they should be given the chance to thrive in an environment that respects their evolutionary needs.

In addition, he has bred and kept a wide variety of other animals, including chickens, finches, rabbits, rats, hamsters, mice, hedgehogs, and African pygmy dormice. This breadth of experience across species has given him a rare, comparative understanding of animal welfare and ecology.

Macauley also applies the same high standards of welfare even to some of the most neglected groups in captive management: invertebrates. Where many keepers view them as “secondary” or utilitarian, he treats them as animals in their own right, with specific needs and ecological roles.

This approach not only benefits the inverts themselves, but also strengthens the overall health and balance of the systems they are part of.

Philosophy

Through all of these experiences, one theme has remained constant: welfare first.

“For me, it has never been about keeping animals alive. It is about giving them the conditions to thrive. Anything less is simply not good enough.”

Macauley’s philosophy is also shaped by his own health journey. Living with ongoing challenges has given him a sharp awareness of the difference between simply surviving and truly thriving. This perspective fuels his determination to ensure that every animal under his care is given the conditions it needs for a genuine quality of life, not just the basics.

That same awareness has guided how he manages his own fishkeeping. Over the years, Macauley has designed custom systems for his aquariums that automate, streamline, and stabilise the most demanding parts of husbandry. From plumbing and water management to electrical design and automated controls, these systems make the hobby sustainable for him while still maintaining the highest standards of welfare for the fish.

His blend of scientific insight, craftsmanship, resilience, and lifelong passion has helped shape Pufferfish Enthusiasts Worldwide into one of the most reliable voices in the hobby, inspiring aquarists across the globe to raise their standards and follow nature’s example.